GAA Club History

Kilanerin-Ballyfad GAA Club has it’s playing grounds in the village of Kilanerin, just five miles (8 km) away from Gorey in North County Wexford.

The second smallest rural parish in County Wexford, Kilanerin once boasted three football clubs. Kilanerin, Ballyfad and Pallas Parnells went out of existence in the early 1950s from whence they eventually amalgamted with Tara Rocks to form the present Kilanerin-Ballyfad GAA Club.

The first Chairman of the club was Jack Fortune. The club reached it’s first county final in 1960 when they lost the Rackard League to Tintern, a fate which was to befall us in 1962.

In 1963, the club won the Gorey District Junior Football title, beat St. Martin’s in the County semi-final (after two replays!), but lost the final to New Ross. Kilanerin continued to win at District Level and finally won the Junior County Championship in 1967.

Kilanerin, then operated at Senior level for some years, reaching the county semi-final on three occasions. The Intermediate grade was introduced in 1973, where Kilanerin competed and won the Inaugural Championship, beating Taghmon in the final. The following year, Kilanerin won the Senior title for the first time ever, beating Rathnure in the final.

Around this time it was decided to, at long last, make some effort to secure a permanent playing field for the club. This was procured and developed initially to produce a fine playing surface just a short walk away from Kilanerin village itself. A further redevelopment of the dressing room facilities and the development of a second playing pitch was completed in 1998.

The late 1980s saw an astonishing run of under-age success in the Club. The National School’s Rackard League Premier football Championship was won in 1985 and in 1987, along with the 1986 Rackard League Hurling Championship. It was widely recognised that the parish was producing a set of young players that could achieve something special.

The 1987 under-12 premier title was won and this was added to by under-14 hurling, under-16 football, and four minor football championships. A host of these young players appeared on the Junior B Football team that narrowly lost the 1991 County Final to Dan O’Connell’s. But the breakthrough came in 1992 with the winning of the Intermediate Football Championship.

The arrival of Wicklow trainer, Gerry Farrell, coincided with this rise in the fortunes of the Kilanerin Football team which followed in the footsteps of it’s 1974 counterparts in winning back-to-back intermediate & senior titles in 1991 and 1992. This was an especially proud moment for the members of 1974 team, as most of them had sons and nephews playing in 1993.

Since then Kilanerin have won the Senor Football Championship on two further occasions, in 1995 and 1997, when they beat Castletown and Adamstown respectively. They were narrowly beaten in the 1996 decider by Glynn Barntown.

The club has been represented five times in the Leinster Club Football Championship, reaching the semi-finals in 1996, where they lost to St. Sylvesters, Dublin.

1998 saw one of the most successful years for the club, both on and off the field of play. Ballyfad won the Junior A Hurling Championship; their first ever adult county hurling title. Then in February 1999, the club won the 1998 County Junior B Football title for the first time after losing 3 previous finals in the nineties. These successes were crowned with an outstanding achievement for the club in funding the development of a second playing pitch and the dressing room facilities.

Mr. Joe McDonagh, President of the GAA, officially opened the ‘Kilanerin-Ballyfad Community Centre’ on Sunday 27th June 1999. He praised the club’s achievement, paid tribute to the club’s role in the GAA throughout the years, and wished the club continued success in the future years.
1998 saw one of the most successful years for the club, both on and off the field of play. Ballyfad won the Junior A Hurling Championship; their first ever adult county hurling title. Then in February 1999, the club won the 1998 County Junior B Football title for the first time after losing 3 previous finals in the nineties. These successes were crowned with an outstanding achievement for the club in funding the development of a second playing pitch and the dressing room facilities.

Mr. Joe McDonagh, President of the GAA, officially opened the ‘Kilanerin-Ballyfad Community Centre’ on Sunday 27th June 1999. He praised the club’s achievement, paid tribute to the club’s role in the GAA throughout the years, and wished the club continued success in the future years.